Report: Dems took secret trips to Mexico, coached illegals on how to exploit immigration laws

Fox News has obtained a letter from House Oversight Committee ranking member Jim Jordan that accuses Democratic staff of partaking in multiple secret trips to Mexico.

In one of the more extreme accusations in the letter, Jordan also cites reports that Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) allegedly “coached” migrants on how to exploit federal immigration law loopholes. A July report in the Washington Examiner claimed that Escobar had sent staff to coach migrants in the border town of Ciudad Juarez on how to circumvent the law by “pretend[ing] they cannot speak Spanish to exploit a loophole letting them to return to the U.S.” (Migrants sent to Mexico could remain there for a period of up to five years until their asylum case can be heard, and therefore must be fluent in Spanish under the policy.)

Jordan asserts that committee staff took two trips to Mexico in August without the knowledge of Republicans. “Although you have the authority to direct Committee staff to travel internationally on official committee business, you have not explained why you authorized this travel into Mexico or what you sought to learn through these trips,” the Ohio Republican wrote.

Jordan surmised that the trips – one of which required a special escort by Border Patrol back over the border – were designed “to delegitimize the administration’s border security efforts and vilify the men and women who protect our border.”

Escobar, often presented in mainstream media as a voice of “reason” when it comes to immigration, is reportedly masterminding the effort to coach migrants. “They [Escobar’s staff] went through and interviewed everybody, cherry-picked them, brought them back, and now are using them as tag lines,” the the senior border patrol union official added. “They’re going over there and manufacturing a lot of these issues.” (RELATED: Democratic Congresswoman Says Trump ‘Not Welcome’ In El Paso After Shooting)

Escobar refused to comment on the Examiner report but denied the accuracy in a social media post.

The @dcexaminer has published a fabricated story resulting in death threats against me and my staff.

But the report cites several “Customs and Border Protection personnel” who verify the claims against Escobar.

Jordan’s letter, according to Fox, “asked Democrats a number of questions including what the purpose of the visit was, which individuals and groups they interacted with, why Escobar’s office was invited, and what ‘coaching’ on immigration laws, if any, was given to migrants.”

Escobar demanded that Donald Trump stay away from the city of El Paso following a mass shooting there last month, in which the gunman reportedly warned of a “Hispanic invasion” taking place in the United States.

Rusty Weiss is editor of the Mental Recession, one of the top conservative blogs of 2012. His writings have appeared at the Daily Caller, American Thinker, FoxNews.com, Big Government, the Times Union, and the Troy Record.